Case Studies

FDM-printed fixed wing UAV

A team of engineers from the AMRC’s new Design & Prototyping Group (DPG) have designed, manufactured and flight tested a prototype Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) airframe constructed entirely of ABS plastic, using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technology.

The recent increase in the use of both additive layer manufacturing and UAVs has led to the availability of a number of 3D printed UAVs for a range of applications. Small wingspan, fixed wing aircraft are used for applications ranging from hobby flying to reconnaissance and humanitarian aid.